


Meeting

by yeaka



Category: Red Riding Hood (2011)
Genre: F/M, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:07:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21772690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Valerie snuck out.
Relationships: Peter/Valerie (Red Riding Hood)
Kudos: 15





	Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Red Riding Hood or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

She has to keep the fire low enough that its smoke doesn’t carry _too_ far—if someone sees it over the village gates, they might come running, and Valerie will be rushed back inside and locked away. They’ll try to keep her _safe_ , but safe is _boring_ , and Valerie feels as much like she belongs in the open woods as she does in the loft of her house. The towering trees are beautiful this time of year, the ground cold but ethereal, glistening with freshly fallen snow. Valerie kneels in it, soaking through her stockings and the bottom of her dress. She tends the glowing embers and gets as close to them as she dares. She’ll sit out in the freezing, welcoming wilderness for as long as she has to.

Then she hears a twig crack behind her. Valerie tenses but doesn’t turn. She listens closely, measuring the creeping gait of a beast that travels on two legs. She thinks she recognizes the sound of those footsteps—those particular boots sinking down into the snow. They’re moving carefully, quietly, probably trying not to startle her—or just trying to get one up on her. Valerie smiles to herself—she isn’t so easy.

She could turn and proclaim him caught. But she takes pity on her handsome partner. She lets him slink closer, until his knees are hitting the ground on either side of her, his strong arms darting quickly around her middle. He pulls her against him, snarling in her ear like some feral beast, and she giggles instead of screams: _delighted_ to be in his embrace. Peter chuckles, “Caught you,” and kisses her cheek. 

“Mm, you did,” she lies, letting him enjoy that satisfaction. He looks so very proud of himself, and he’s so cute that she just doesn’t have the heart to tell him he’ll never actually best her. She loves him too much. “But then, I did _want_ to be caught...”

She sighs when he disentangles from her, moving to sit beside her properly, but then his arm opens right back up. Valerie sidles into it. She leans her head on his shoulder, gluing herself to his side. He rubs her back, warming her up more than the fire does. She can afford to put it out now. She needed _just_ enough smoke for him to find her. Their secret spot is harder to discern under the cover of winter.

But they’ve both made it, and they’re alone, away from prying eyes and other’s judgment. They snuggle up together and enjoy their moment until the bells ring, and they must begrudgingly wander back to the only home they’ve ever known.


End file.
